Just like in English, different Spanish-speaking countries and areas

have different accents when they speak. The main difference is that in

the Americas two sounds were lost in comparison to Spain: z sounds like

s, and ll sounds like y. In Bolivia and Peru, z is lost but ll is kept.

In Argentina and Uruguay ch and ll have a characteristic hard sound. In

Mexico, vowels are reduced to schwa (like in English about, celestial,

gorilla). In Puerto Rico and Cuba they confuse r and l. In many

countries j is not hard but it's like an English h (as in hot). A

Chilean is heard as saying mujier instead of mujer.

In spite of this differences, two Spanish speakers from different places

will always understand each other, provided they speak the cultivated

versions of their respective cities. If fast colloquial speech is used,

comprehension may be impaired.